The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Maharashtra government to submit an affidavit on the powers delegated to the special investigation team (SIT), led by water expert Madhav Chitale, to probe the multi-crore irrigation scam. The high court also directed the state government to provide details with regard to the SIT’s terms of reference and its members, while hearing on a petition filed by Jan Manch, a Nagpur based NGO.
The court’s directives came 11 days after the government constituted SIT and decided its terms of reference. While Chitale, a former chairman of the Central Water Commission, has been appointed the SIT’s head, other members include former additional chief secretary (finance) A K D Jadhav, retired irrigation secretary V M Ranade and former agriculture commissioner Krishna Lavhekar.
A senior minister, who did not wish to be identified, told Business Standard, “The government will file an affidavit as per today’s directives.”
However, advocate Anil Kilor, representing Jan Manch, on Friday argued SIT was a farce. “Already, four reports on the irregularities in the irrigation sector have been submitted to the government, but there has been no substantive action in this regard. The SIT’s report will be the fifth,” he said.
As reported by Business Standard on January 1, SIT’s terms of reference include fixing responsibility for irregularities, if found during investigations, and suggest action against those concerned. Further, the committee has been mandated to probe the reasons for the low level of irrigated area, the actual rise in irrigation potential and irrigated area and use of water for non-irrigation purposes.
The committee would also inquire the cost and time overruns of various projects, after they received revised administrative approvals from irrigation corporations. The committee would also have to examine whether the rise in cost was in tune with the stipulated norms and rules. More, the committee has been asked to look into delays in project implementation.
Furthermore, the committee would have to make suggestions to step up irrigation potential, increase irrigated area and improve the works undertaken by the water resources department.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and his deputy Ajit Pawar have justified the establishment of SIT in the present format. Opposition parties, however, have blasted the state government for not delegating powers to the SIT under the Judicial Inquiry Commission Act. They also criticised the government for non-inclusion of any retired police officer or from the judiciary in the SIT.
Within a span of seven months in 2009, the cost of 38 irrigation projects, implemented by the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC), escalated by Rs 20,050.06-Rs 26,722.33 crore from Rs 6,672.27 crore. Thirty out of 38 projects were granted hurried approvals in just four days — 11 projects on August 14, 2009, 10 projects on June 2009, five projects on July 7, 2009, and four projects on August 18, 2009. The Vadnere Committee in its report observed that the cost updating of 37 out of total 137 major tenders were carried as per the government norms.
